Electrical connector



Oct. 5, 1965 H. J. DELL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 5, 1963 e m m m HARRY I DELL Unite States Patent 3,210,721 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Harry J. Dell, Camp Hill, Pa., assignor to AMI Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Mar. 5, 1963, Set. No.262398 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-242) This invention relates to electrical connectors of the connect/disconnect type employing a flat tab as one element which fits into a spring-type receptacle. In the prior art, it is known to employ a single tab adapted to be connected to a single receptacle.

It is an object of this invention to construct a receptacle so designed that two such receptacles may be secured to a single tab. It is a further object of this invention to provide a combination of a plurality of receptacles and tabs, whereby a substantial saving in space and material is provided. It is also an object of this invention to provide interlocking receptacles whereby such receptacles may be applied to a single tab.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle employing the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a pair of receptacles of the type shown in FIGURE 1 applied to a tab;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a device employing the principles of this invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the device includes a tabreceiving portion T, and a conductor-receiving portion C capable of being secured to a conductor 19. The device may be stamped out of sheet metal and formed into the appropriate design. The conductor-receiving portion C includes a pair of ears 12 and 14 which are coldforged to the conductor 19. A second set of cars 16 and 18 may be folded over onto the insulation 20 of the conductor to physically secure the conductor to the connector.

A planar floor portion 22 extends outwardly from the conductor-receiving portion C in a longitudinal direction. The tab-receiving portion T has a pair of paralleled side edges 24 and 26, and a front edge 28 which extends laterally of the longitudinal axis. The conductorreceiving portion lies substantially along the edge 26.

A pair of resilient clips 30 and 32 are secured to the side edges of the tab-receiving member T. Both of these spring clips are C-shaped in cross-section and are disposed on the edges so that they face toward each other. The clips cooperate with the planar portion 22 to engage a tab 33. The spring clip 32 is adjacent the conductorreceiving portion C. The spring clip 30, on the opposite edge, is longitudinally offset from the spring clip 32.

A depression or dimple 34 is located in the central surface of the receptacle to cooperate with a similar depression (not shown) in the tab. A stop member 35 is located on the rear edge. Also, a leading edge 36, be-

tween the side edge 24 and the front edge 28, is cut on a bias to provide end-to-end engagement with a plurality of receptacles in strip form.

As shown in the drawings, the spring clip 32 extends in a longitudinal direction for a distance less than midway of the planar portion 22 of the receptacle. The other spring clip 30 also extends in a longitudinal direction from the front edge 28, less than midway of the planar portion 22 of the receptacle.

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 3 is similar to the one shown in FIGURE 1. It includes a tab-receiving portion T and a conductor-receiving portion C. The conductor 50 may be inserted into a pair of ears 52 and 54 on the conductor-receiving portion C'. The ears are cold-forged onto the conductor 50, and a second set of cars 56 and 58 are adapted to be Wrapped around the insulation 60 on the conductor.

A planar floor surface 62 has a pair of side edges 64 and 6d and a front edge 68. The side edge 66 has a spring clip 70 which is similar to the spring clip 30 disclosed in FIGURE 1. The opposite edge 64 has a pair of spring clips 72 and 72 secured thereto. These spring clips 72 and 72' are identical with the spring clip 32. The clips are co-axially aligned on the edge 64 and spaced from each other a longitudinal distance slightly longer than the length of the spring clip 70.

It is apparent that the device of FIGURE 3 is similar to the device of FIGURE 1, except that the tab-receiving portion is longer and two clips are secured on one edge of the tab portion rather than one These clips are located so that they are in staggered relation with the clip 70 on the oposite edge. The device of FIGURE 3 includes a dimple 74 and stop 75 which are the equivalent of the structure of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

When it is desired to secure a pair of conductors to a simple tab by employing the device of FIGURE 1, each of the conductors is cold-forged or crimped to the conductor-receiving portion of the receptacle. The receptacles are then placed in face-to-face relationship so that the front clip of one receptacle is aligned with the back clip of the other receptacle. The tab is inserted between the receptacles so that it first engages the spring clip of the bottom receptacle and the front spring clip of the other receptacle (FIGURE 2). This, in effect, forms a sandwich comprising the floor of one receptacle, the tab, and the floor of the second receptacle. Continued insertion of the tab into the receptacle causes it to engage the back clips of each of the receptacles. The conductors will then be disposed in side-by-side, parallel relationship.

The device of FIGURE 3 is employed in substantially the same manner as that shown in FIGURE- 1. The connectors are cold-forged to a pair of conductors, and then placed in face-to-face relationship. The clip 70 of one receptacle is disposed between the pair of clips 72 and 72 on the other receptacle, in upside-down relationship. The clips 72, 72 of the second receptacle mate with the clip 70 of the first receptacle in the same manner (FIG- URE 4). Again, insertion of the tab forms a sandwich comprised of the floor of the first tabreceiving member, the tab, and the floor of the second tab-receiving member, in upside-down relationship.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently diflerent modifications and embodiments may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector receptacle adapted to receive a flat tab member having an electrical contact portion, said receptacle comprising a ferrule-forming memher adapted to be cold-forged onto an electrical conductor, a planar portion secured to the ferrule-forming member, said planar portion having opposed side edges, spring means on the opposed edges of said planar portion to engage the tab member resiliently and retain it in contact with the planar portion, said spring means comprised of a pair of inwardly-directed clips on one edge, a single clip on the other edge, all of said clips longitudinally disposed in staggered relationship to each other, and said planar portion having recessed portions along the edges thereof opposite said clips and shaped so that a pair of said receptacles may be nested, with the spring means of one such receptacle mating with the recesses of the other receptacle to permit stacking of the pair of receptacles on the tab member.

2. An electrical connection between a flat, tab-type conductor and a pair of wires comprising: identical receptacle means on each of said wires, said wires extending parallel to each other and longitudinal to the axis of the tab-type conductor, each of said receptacle means having outer parallel edges, said edges having spring members thereon which are longitudinally offset relative to each other, recessed portions opposite said spring members, and said receptacles disposed in opposed relationship with the tab-type conductor therebetween and secured in each receptacle means by said spring members, each said spring member interfitting a recessed portion in the opposed receptacle means to complete the electrical connection.

3. An electrical connection between a flat, tab-type conductor and a pair of parallel wires comprising: identical receptacle means on each of said wires, said Wires extending longitudinally to the axis of the tab, each receptacle means having outer parallel edges and a pair of spring members, one on each of said edges, said spring members being longitudinally offset, and a pair of recessed 3 portions opposite said spring members and said receptacles disposed in opposed relationship with the tab therebetween and secured in each receptacle means by said spring members, each said spring member interfitting a recessed portion in the opposed receptacle means to complete the electrical connection.

4. An electrical connection between a flat, tab-type, electrical conductor and a pair of parallel electrical cables comprising: identical receptacle means on each of said cables, said cables extending longitudinally of the axis of the tab, said receptacle means having outer parallel edges with a pair of spaced spring members on one of said edges and a single spring member on the other edge, said single spring member being disposed intermediately of the spaced spring members, and recessed portions opposite said spring members and said receptacles disposed in opposed relationship with the tab therebetween and secured in each receptacle means by said spring members, each said spring member interfitting a recessed portion in the opposed receptacle means to complete the electrical connection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,995,115 3/35 Douglas. 2,543,415 2/51 Macy 339-258 2,701,350 2/55 Soreng 339256 2,921,287 1/60 Matthysse et al. 339258 3,021,503 2/62 Hopkins et al. 3,104,927 9/63 Cargill et al. 339-256 FOREIGN PATENTS 155,717 12/20 Great Britain. 173,953 1/61 Switzerland.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. 

3. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN A FLAT, A TAB-TYPE CONDUCTOR AND A PAIR OF PARALLEL WIRES COMPRISING: IDENTICAL RECEPTACLE MEANS ON EACH OF SAID WIRES, SAID WIRES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY TO THE AXIS OF THE TAB, REACH RECEPTACLE MEANS HAVING OUTER PARALLEL EDGES AND A PAIR OF SPRING MEMBERS, ONE ON EACH OF SAID EDGES, SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING LONGITUDINALLY OFFSET, AND A PAIR OF RECESSED PORTIONS OPPOSITE SAID SPRING MEMBERS AND SAID RECEPTACLES DISPOSED IN OPPOSED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TAB THEREBETWEEN AND SECURED IN EACH RECEPTACLE MEANS BY SAID SPRING MEMBERS, EACH SAID SPRING MEMBER INTERFITTING A RECESSED PORTION IN THE OPPOSED RECEPTACLE MEANS TO COMPLETE THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. 